36 Weeks in Ecuador

Hi everyone! I've missed you. I really haven't meant to stay away this long, but truly there has been nothing to report. And in a lot of ways, it's been nice to take a blog break. It's getting me ready for the inevitable one to come once baby Olivia gets here.

So here I am at 36 weeks - in one of the few photos I've allowed of myself this end of the pregnancy. As you've heard me complain before, I've been feeling a bit less than sexy so photo shoots are not something I find enjoyable. But I thought I owe you a belly shot and I needed to show off the project that's been occupying me this month.

This is a test knit I just completed for the talented designer Joji, and also my entry for the Madtosh May Sweater Knit-along. The pattern is called Ecuador and has just gone on sale, available on Ravelry. It's a circular design sweater with lots of drape using a loose fabric knit from a light fingering weight yarn. I used madelinetosh merino light for mine, in the Calligraphy color way. I'm not the fastest knitter in the world, and this one took many, many hours for me to complete so I'm very happy that I'm quite pleased with the way it came out. Right now it makes me look like a bit of an orbiting planet but I think I'll love it once I lose the tummy. I also took some photos of my cousin modeling it, if you'd like to see what it looks like on a non-gigantically-pregnant woman. My Ravelry project page is here.

Now is the part where I sit and wait in between big bursts of nesting energy. The first one hit last weekend and my house is nice and clean and organized but it completely wiped me out. I'm hoping for a few more before baby arrives so I can finish all her bedding, swaddling blankets, bibs and burp cloths. I'm just now hand-sewing the binding on her quilt so I'll have that to share with you this week, too.

It looks like she could come anytime after this week. I'm measuring almost two weeks ahead, and because Lucy was such a big girl (nine pounds two ounces and not exactly an easy birth experience!) my doctor is not intending on letting this baby get that big. And trust me when I tell you that every one around me would like her to make an appearance sooner rather than later. I'm afraid they are all a little sick of my bitchy mood and constant whining. But you know, when you can't even make it through a trip to the grocery store, you have constant body parts jabbing into your lungs making it painful to breathe and have a whole other list of unmentionable symptoms, who can blame a girl for wanting it to be over? I know a lot of you have been right there with me!

Much love to you all, and please keep posting all the lovely sewing eye candy for me to drool over while my own machine sits in nearly complete hibernation.

It's a GIRL!

We had our 20 week ultrasound yesterday and were thrilled to find out that we're expecting a little sister for Lucia! I really wanted another girl and I think Mark had resigned himself long ago to the fact that he would always be outnumbered. More importantly, she looks like a very healthy, strong girl. We even got to see amazing 4D images of her moving around like crazy. And she already has plenty of hair!  I'm a bit worried she's topping 15 ounces this early- we make big babies. But I guess I had better lay off the cupcakes a bit!

It was a pretty epic day. In addition to the good news, we finally bought a new car! The 1998 VW Beetle I've been driving for the last twelve years crapped out - again. Being pregnant toting around a toddler with a smelly, hairy dog riding shotgun has been less than fun. Believe me when I tell you how elated I am to not have to use a lint roller on my pants every time I get out of the car. 

We decided on a Ford Edge, which will be perfect for hauling babies with a space in the back all for Norman. 

So today I'm feeling happy and content and ready to do a little work on my Single Girl Quilt. If I'm not back beforehand, I'll see you all here next Monday for step two of the Single Girl Quilt-along!

20 weeks and knitting along

So here I am at the twenty week halfway mark and all I really feel like doing right now is knitting. A run-on cold and a minor annoying pregnancy side effect has had me pretty much in bed with my feet up as much as I can. At least it has been a condition that is happily conducive to knitting! I'm very much missing my sewing machine, although I think the break has been good for me. I'll have to be back at it again soon enough to keep up with the Single Girl Quilt-along, which is kicking off with Katy on Monday. Then you'll find part two, piecing, right here on Monday the 21st!

I finished my Big Herringbone Cowl a few nights ago and I seriously don't want to take it off. It clearly doesn't belong with the stripey athletic tee I'm wearing here but that paired with some preggy yoga pants is my uniform these days so oh well.  The cowl pattern is a free tutorial from the lovely Purl Bee blog, and I knew the moment I saw it I had to knit one for myself. And it was a great excuse to use this gorgeous madeline tosh merino yarn I impulse bought from my LYS. The colorway is called Amber Trinket, and it is one of the prettiest yarns I've ever had the pleasure of knitting with. No photos could capture the true beautiful purples, oranges and maroons, but this is a fairly decent representation. This pattern gave me a bit of trouble in the beginning due to first a too tight, then a too loose cast on, and again later when I found out I had twisted my stitches when I joined in the round, but I persevered after ripping out four times and from then on it was easy peasy.

And here is another self-portrait-in-the-bathroom of my belly, twenty weeks along! I'll hopefully have some exciting news to share next week after our ultrasound. I've convinced myself it's a boy but Lucy loves to pull up my shirt and touch the belly saying "see-ster!" No joke. We'll soon find out, and either way, I hope you'll all be able to tolerate the large amount of baby-crafting that will inevitably crop up for the second half of this ride.

Today I'm a bit crabby as my car broke down and our bathroom sink sprung a gigantic leak, and tonight we are having a big party at our winery to release our new Cabernet and Pinot Noir, so I will be forced to have to put on real clothes and leave my knitting behind. But I suppose I'll be back soon enough. I hope you all have a happy weekend filled with lots of sewing, knitting or your current vice of choice.

Pasha and the freakishly large pregnant belly

Sounds like the name of a story in a book of fables, doesn't it? Pasha is actually just the name of this hat I finished knitting late last night. I'm quite proud of how it turned out, actually fitting my head and my first lacework with no mistakes in it. I used my favorite yarn of the moment again, Madeline Tosh Pashmina, in graphite. This one will be getting lots of wear. 

Isn't that fabric it's sitting on gorgeous? It's a Nani Iro cotton/linen print that is currently being chopped up and made into a clutch (the market bags just aren't looking too sexy for toting around to dinners out).

And please forgive the terrible self-portrait-in-the-bathroom, but here is me and my giant growing belly. At only 15 and a half weeks, I realize this is REALLY big. I'm already getting tired of hearing "are you sure there's not twins in there?" quips. Nope, only one. One big baby, that hopefully won't top ten pounds at birth!

My other big baby is in bed so I'm off now to continue my super sewing blitz - but check back Friday for a GIVEAWAY!!!